Fans of “Jersey Boys,” the musical about the founding and the success of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, have the movie “The Deer Hunter” to thank for it.

It was in Michael Cimino’s 1978 war film that Gaudio, keyboardist and vocalist for the Four Seasons and songwriter of many hits for the group and Valli, first had the idea to bring their story and songs to the stage.

“There’s a scene where they’re singing ‘Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You,’ and it was an awakening for me,” Gaudio says. “It was the first time I saw our music used in that way.”

DETAILS

What: “Jersey Boys,” the national tour presented by Broadway in Birmingham; this is an Equity tour, meaning some members of the cast have Broadway experience.

And so began the long task of bringing “Jersey Boys” to fruition. The show opened on Broadway in 2005, earning a Tony Award for best musical, and the national tour opens Tuesday, Sept. 10, in Birmingham and runs through Sunday, Sept. 15.

Starring as Gaudio is Jason Kappus, who has been on the road with the show (with his wife and dog in tow) since 2011.

“The audition process was probably the most intimidating part for me, because I hadn’t met Bob, yet, and he’s there for all the final callbacks for the show,” Kappus recalls. “My last audition I was there trying to be this person who was sitting five feet away on the other side of the table.”

Turns out Gaudio couldn’t have cared less.

“They told me the role that Bob cares about least in the show is actually himself,” Kappus says. “It’s his wife, Judy, you really have to impress.”

Gaudio agrees.

“In my opinion, even though it’s the story of four guys, it’s a supporting role,” the songwriter says. “It’s Frankie’s show. I’m not saying the actors portraying me shouldn’t be great, but I’ve never had a view of what I was all about. The person to ask that would be Frankie.”

For Kappus, “Jersey Boys” gives him the opportunity to sing some of the most classic songs in the pop repertoire night after night. There are 33 of them in the show.

“I’ve never met anyone who doesn’t like this music,” he says. “What’s impressive to me is how my generation and even generations younger than mine who come to see this show. It’s impressive how familiar they are with these songs. Even if they don’t know they’re Four Seasons songs, when ‘Sherry’ or ‘Who Loves You’ comes on.”

The show interweaves the songs with the story of how the Four Seasons came together, sometimes faught, and thrived.

“Frankie and I were sort of joined at the hip musically from day one,” Gaudio says. “We could outline differences on a business level, but the music has always been the stitches to any wounds that may have occurred. At the end of the day, we’ve always come together on that level.”

Gaudio, who says he has seen the stage show about 160 times on Broadway and on tour, is now setting his sights on the film version of “Jersey Boys.” Oscar-winning director Clint Eastwood is at the helm.

“It’s a great way to go to the silver screen,” Gaudio says. “He’s one of the best.”

And, for the most part, Gaudio is hands-off, even though he and Valli are executive producers.

“My preference is to watch from the sidelines,” he says. “I’m mostly concerned about how the music is presented. Clint’s Clint. Am I going to tell him what I think he should be doing making a movie? I think not. All that’s important to me is that he knows the essence of what the show is.”